A former Portland nightclub owner convicted in a notorious 1990 murder — and later released early — is facing new legal trouble.
On Friday, Jan. 16, Lawrence “Larry” Hurwitz, 71, of Oregon, known as the “Starry Night Murderer,” was arrested in Sandy and charged with fourth-degree assault of a domestic partner, harassment, and a parole violation, according to Clackamas County online jail records.
Court documents allege Hurwitz unlawfully and intentionally harassed someone through offensive physical contact, according to reports from KOIN 6, the Portland Tribune, and Fox News.
Hurwitz first gained notoriety in connection with the killing of Tim Moreau, 21, who worked for him at the Starry Night Concert Hall — a Portland nightclub Hurwitz owned. Moreau’s body has never been found.
Investigators have said Hurwitz killed Moreau to conceal a counterfeit ticket operation at the club, according to KOIN 6, Fox News, and the Portland Tribune.
In 1998 — eight years after Moreau’s death — Hurwitz was arrested and charged with murder. He later pleaded no contest and was sentenced in 2000 to 11 years in prison. He was released in 2008.
Hurwitz was arrested again in 2019 in California, where authorities said he possessed 4.4 lbs. of cocaine and $328,000 in proceeds from drug sales, according to KOIN 6. The Portland Tribune reported that he traveled to California without written permission — a trip that allegedly violated the conditions tied to his Oregon parole.
He pleaded guilty in 2021 and received an eight-year prison sentence. He ultimately served about three and a half years in California before being returned to Oregon custody in 2023.
As the Oregon Board of Parole weighed whether to impose 180 days in jail for violating release conditions, Moreau’s parents, Mike and Penny Moreau, submitted a statement to the Portland Tribune describing the lasting impact of their son’s death.
“Thirty-three years ago, our lives were terribly changed,” they wrote. “Our hopes and dreams for our first-born son Tim were totally destroyed and for what reason: the greed of one man.
“Both of us have had serious physical and mental health problems over these years. We still miss our son, a bright, upbeat adventurous redhead, who loved music and the outdoors. He was only 21 years old. What contributions might he have made to society?”
They added that Hurwitz received a plea deal in 2000 rather than face a possible death sentence, and said he agreed both to help locate Moreau’s remains and to lifetime post-prison supervision.
“He agreed to an 11-year prison sentence and agreed to help find the body. Tim’s remains have never been found,” they wrote. “Hurwitz also agreed to lifetime post-prison supervision. This is what he agreed to. This is what we expect to happen.”
The parole board ultimately sentenced Hurwitz to three months in jail — the maximum punishment — according to the Portland Tribune.
Hurwitz is being held on $500,000 bond for the harassment charge. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 4, and his trial is set for March 19.
It is not clear whether he has retained an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
